


Babes In The Wood

by Tiny_Rick



Category: Dragons Race to the Edge, Dragons Riders of Berk, How to Train Your Dragon (Movies)
Genre: Cousins, Familial Relationship, Family Angst, Family Drama
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-18
Updated: 2017-09-18
Packaged: 2018-12-31 02:42:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,915
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12122778
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tiny_Rick/pseuds/Tiny_Rick
Summary: So I've always been curious about the gang as kids, and what sort of trouble they got in to. And at the same time, I love Snotlout, I think he's a lot nicer than he lets on. But at the same time, I think he can/could be a bit of a jerk. And I read the book, and I saw that he coined the Nickname "Useless" for Hiccup when they were kids. So I wanted to write a story about how they might get along as little kids, being cousins and all. I think it's really clear that they were all really awful to Hiccup, and I think we all sort of just... ignore that? And if you read the book, those kids are just BRUTAL to him.Anyway, enjoy. I think Snotlout is a more complex character who cares way too much about what others think of him, so this is how I see him as a kid!





	Babes In The Wood

“Hiccup, keep up!” Stoick yelled back at his child. Hiccup was struggling to climb over a fallen tree, he made it to the top, only to feel something hit him hard in the back and send him crashing down face-first into the mud.  
“Keep up, Useless!” Snotlout laughed at him. Ruffnut and Tuffnut were giggling and jumped over past the little boy. Hiccup looked up at the kids who were jumping away, scrambling to keep up with Stoick. He had decided to take the young vikings on a field trip of sorts into the woods, and teach the little ones about basic survival.  
“You need a hand?” Hiccup looked up and saw Astrid put her hand down to help him out of the mud. Hiccup took her hand and she pulled him up a little, but then dropped him back down so he fell down face-first again. “Lesson number one, always keep your guard up.” Astrid scolded. She was balancing her axe on her shoulder (an axe far too big for an eight-year-old, but she didn’t seem to have a problem lifting it).  
“Right.” Hiccup grumbled, pushing himself to his feet. He continued on to follow his dad and the other kids, but stopped when he saw a bluebird land on a snow-covered tree branch. Hiccup tilted his head and pushed his hair out of his eyes. There was a lot of it, and it was too fluffy and it kept falling in his face. He took a small step forward as to not scare the bird. Why did the bird choose that branch to land on? How did birds fly? Why were some birds different colors? Were birds the same as dragons? If so, why were they fluffy and feathery?  
Hiccup’s mind did that thing where it just took off. And he stared at that bird for a long while until it flew away and Hiccup snapped out of it. He turned around to catch up with the group, only to freeze when he didn’t see anyone. Had he lost the entire group? How long had he been staring at that bird?  
“Dad?” Hiccup called. “Fishlegs? Anyone?” He called a little louder, but the group was long gone. Hiccup began to climb over another fallen tree to try and find his group, but there was a loud shout behind him. Hiccup let out a scream and fell to the ground, to look up and see Snotlout laughing at him.  
“You were so scared!” Snotlout laughed. “You fell flat on your face!” He gripped his stomach and laughed at his little cousin. Snotlout never even mentioned that they were related, and whenever people asked he would respond with something nasty about Hiccup.  
“Yeah very funny.” Hiccup mumbled. “Where’s everyone else?” He asked. Snotlout stopped laughing slowly and looked around.  
“Uh…” He looked over his shoulder. “I thought they were with you.” Snotlout gave the smaller boy a shove. Hiccup shook his head.  
“No, they were with you. I was watching a bird and lost them.” Hiccup admitted.  
“Well I was hiding behind that log to scare you.” Snotlout told him this like Hiccup should have already known. Hiccup looked over his shoulder and Snotlout looked around as well. “So… do you have any idea where they went?” Snotlout asked, being a little nervous about being lost in the woods. But like hell would he let that show.  
“I don’t know.” Hiccup admitted, he didn’t even note what direction they were going.  
“Well I’m sure I can find them!” Snotlout cut in. “Let’s go, they’re probably not far up ahead.” He told the boy. Hiccup and nodded and trudged off, following Snotlout. “Yeah, I’m sort of the best at survival! I don’t even need the group to make it out here! I’m like the king of the forest.” He continued.  
“No, that’s the elk.” Hiccup told him. Snotlout looked at the boy confused. “The king of the forest is the elk. That’s just what people call the elk.”  
“Where’d you hear something so stupid?” Snotlout asked. “There are no elk around Berk!” He reminded, tapping on Hiccup’s forehead.  
“My mom said so when I was really little. She wasn’t from Berk.” Hiccup told him.  
“Well obviously, if she was going on about elk.” Snotlout crossed his arms and the children continued onward. About a few hours passed until Hiccup began to shiver.  
“It’s getting pretty dark, Snotlout… and cold… where did my dad take the others?” He asked. Hiccup began talking a touch faster and he sounded a bit more nervous. Snotlout rolled his eyes.  
“Stop being such a baby, they’re probably up ahead.” Snotlout brushed the boy off. Hiccup stopped walking forward and looked around him. The woods was a lot darker and he couldn’t see any birds to keep his mind off of things.  
“That’s what you’ve been saying, Snotlout, I don’t think they’re up ahead I think we’re going the wrong way.” Hiccup was beginning to sound a little distressed, and the woods was dark and cold and he didn’t recognize anything. “We’re lost and I don’t even know which way Berk is.”  
“Hey, Useless, will you shut it? We’re fine!” Snotlout assured again, before turning around. But once he turned around he got a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach. Hiccup was standing in the middle of the dark forest, he was shivering and the look he had in his eyes was terrified. Snotlout rubbed the back of his head. “Hey Use-Hiccup…” He stopped himself. He didn’t know why he felt so bad, especially for someone as dumb as Hiccup. “It’ll be fine, we’ll find our way home… and you’ve got your cousin with you! Come on, nothing bad will happen to us while I’m around. I’m the king of the forest, remember?” He asked.  
Hiccup nodded and tried to compose himself. “That’s still an elk, Snotlout.” He mumbled, before they continued on.  
But the night got later and it kept getting darker and colder. They were definitely going the wrong way. Snotlout was trudging on forward, confident in his ability to find their way back. He was getting pretty nervous, to be honest. But something about seeing Hiccup scared made him want to keep a level head. “S-Snot-l-lout, it’s g-getting really cold… h-how far f-from home are we?” Hiccup asked, his teeth were chattering. It just got so cold on Berk. Snotlout was shivering violently himself, but he was trying his best to brush it off.  
“I’m sure we’re close, Hiccup. It’ll be fine.” Snotlout assured. But he then looked over and saw his smaller cousin who was shivering and holding onto himself. Hiccup’s cheeks and nose were red and his teeth were chattering. “Uhm… but I’m getting cold too. Maybe we should stop and build a fire.” He decided. Hiccup nodded and the boys split up to collect some dry wood. They came back and piled it in the center. And Snotlout frustratedly rubbed two sticks together before Hiccup took them away.  
“You don’t actually start a fire like that. It would take hours.” Hiccup told him. Snotlout was about to make a wise remark, but then Hiccup took his metal knife and scraped it quickly across a rock, he did that for a little while, making more and more sparks before the woods caught.  
“Oh…” Snotlout looked at the fire and they sat on opposite sides. They warmed their hands before Snotlout looked around, trying to figure out where in the woods they were. “Okay, I think I know which way Berk is. We just gotta go up the-”  
“Just stop it!” Hiccup shouted all of the sudden. Snotlout turned around confused and shocked. Hiccup Haddock was yelling at him? This bullied kid was shouting at a kid twice his size and weight? Usually Snotlout had him knowing that he would beat him up for running his mouth, but Hiccup didn’t seem to care right now.  
“You don’t know where we are! We’re lost and you keep saying everything will be fine but you don’t know that!” Hiccup shouted at him.  
“Yes I do! I know how to cut it out here!” Snotlout hissed at him. “Maybe you’re too weak but I’m not! Besides, the group will probably find us any minute now and-”  
“THEY AREN’T LOOKING!” Hiccup screamed. Snotlout fell back and Hiccup was breathing heavily, looking at him. “They aren’t looking! Don’t you get it Snotlout!?” Hiccup cried. “They’ll come looking for you… and you’ll go home and you’ll be fine because Astrid and the twins and Fishlegs will miss you and want you back.” He rambled. “But nobody will even notice I’m gone…” Hiccup sighed and his face sort of softened. “My dad won’t even notice. And even if he does he won’t care.”  
But the soft and sullen look faded when he burst into tears. He knew Snotlout was going to bully him relentlessly for crying, but he didn’t care. Hiccup slid down the the ground and cried. “I’m going to disappear without ever making a single friend.” he cried, covering his face with his hands. But he looked up when he heard footsteps come around the fire and stand over him. Hiccup looked up at Snotlout who put his hand out.  
“We can be friends.” He offered. Hiccup looked curiously at his cousin. His cousin who never ever wanted anything to do with him and his cousin who never even wanted to talk to him or look at him. But now he had a smile and was offering to be friends. Hiccup sat there confused for a little while until they heard calling.  
“Snotlout! Hiccup!” Different voices called out.  
“Over here!” Snotlout called. Hiccup scrambled to his feet and quickly tried to wipe away his tears so nobody would see he was crying. The group of the young vikings Stoick was leading came running over with torches.  
“We found them!” Tuffnut called back. The chief sighed in relief and ran over to the kids.  
“Thank the gods I thought I lost another child.” He mumbled. “Everyone stays in the group from now on… Hiccup.” He threw a glare at his son who sunk in a little bit.  
“Nice going, Useless!” Ruffnut laughed, hitting him on the back of the head. Stoick just rolled his eyes and began leading the kids back to the village as the kids laughed and jumped around, most of them were teasing Hiccup. “What stupid thing did you do to get lost?” Ruff asked him. Hiccup frowned a little and looked up a Snotlout, who seemed uncomfortable.  
“Stuck in the woods all night with Hiccup. How did you go this long without bashing your head against a rock?” Tuffnut asked Snotlout, this comment earned laughs from the rest of the group. Snotlout grinded his teeth and looked down at his cousin, who just looked up at him with big eyes.  
“Well… you know.” Snotlout began. “Useless here got lost, and somebody had to keep him from killing himself out here.” He laughed, walking off next to the twins.  
“I say next time we leave him.” Ruffnut laughed. Hiccup watched them go as Snotlout continued to jab at his cousin. The tiny viking boy just let his shoulders drop and he dragged his feet forward, towards the village he was beginning to see in the distance. But before he made it to Berk he stopped to see a bluebird land on a snow-covered tree branch.  
Some things never changed.


End file.
